Citizens urge Cypress council not to stack the last meeting with key issues

Cypress Town Center project

Several citizens, including two running for city council, urged the Cypress city council not to use its last meeting together to vote on several major issues and initiatives facing the people of Cypress.

Activist Brooke Nefertiti said during oral communications that “I’m sensing a trend here,” noting that in the council’s last meeting in November last year, they passed the controversial Shea Properties proposal to allow the company to move forward on the sale and development of a valuable 13.3 acre town center property.

This year, she said, at their Nov. 23 meeting, the council may attempt to take its final vote on the Shea Properties development as well as vote on the Amazon ‘last mile’ facility. She wondered openly why would they “try to cram them through” before a new council takes office in December?

“Why can’t we take a deep breath here,” she asked, noting that the city was entering “uncharted waters.” She said by taking such action, the existing council would “neuter” the new council.

The city voted recently 3-2 in a divisive exchange to allow Shea to proceed, even after they revealed that a proposed bowling alley for their new development would now likely be a grocery store.

At least one of the “yes” votes, Mayor Ron Johnson (termed out), would no longer be on the Council if they allowed the new Council to vote on the proposal.

It was acknowledged by Shea during that meeting that the city would get one final look at the development. In November, the council will have one final yes or no vote to award authority to move the plan to actual development.

Another citizen, Brittany Cook, also pleaded with the council not to vote on the matter at their last meeting. Doing so, she said, would be “cutting off the new council at the knees.”

Three of the nine candidates spoke during the open mic portion of the meeting, including Anne Hertz, Blaise Bent and David Gersten.

Bent and Gersten agreed with postponing the vote, Hertz addressed other matters.
Any decisions that have to made should be delayed to give the new council a chance to review before voting, they suggested.

In other action Monday, the Cypress Council:
• Heard Finance Director Matt Burton say the first of the “quarterly budget updates” will be held Oct. 19. Details will be discussed then, but he said Cypress had so far weathered the pandemic in relatively sound financial shape. He said the budget surplus would likely cover the potential deficit.
• Heard city manager Peter Grant say major announcements in the reopening process would be made soon after Orange County has been recognized in the red tier, allowing administrative offices to reopen.
• Heard a representative of the Orange County Taxpayers Association ask the city to support a resolution opposing Prop 15, saying the new measure would allow “split” tax rolls that would amount to the largest property tax increase in the state’s history, though she did acknowledge that a portion of the $10-12 billion per year collected (40 percent) would go to schools.